I know that the news of these killings is a few days old, but I wanted to wait until the suspects were identified before I mentioned anything about the motivations of the perpetrators. I must admit that I am a little surprised that even several days after this event there does not seem to be a lot of media coverage of it. You can read about it here.
So, following a traffic stop, a bible thumping, anti-government, AK-47 wielding wingnut named Jerry Kane and his son manage to kill two police officers and wound two other officers without any major blowback to the Republican party, Tea Party, and/or other (media) people who indirectly promote aggressive anti-government activities. I mean, hasn't the message that has been coming from the Republican fringe for months been that violence against the government can be justified?
Here are a couple of quotes from this guy from his YouTube videos found on his website:
"Violence doesn't solve anything, OK. It's not violence that we're after. The Bible even tells us that if you're going to go and make war against somebody, you have to kill their sheep and their goats and their chickens and their babies and their wives. OK?"
"You have to kill them all. So what we're after here is not fighting, it's conquering. I don't want to have to kill anybody, but if they keep messing with me, that's what it's going to have to come out. That's what it's going to come down to, is I'm going to have to kill. And if I have to kill one, then I'm not going to be able to stop, I just know it."
Sounds pretty crazy. But, was he just crazy or was he influenced by anything?
Material on the website promoting Kane's foreclosure-advising business displays classic rhetoric experts say is associated with anti-government groups. Topics discussed on the site include microchips inserted into people's bodies, plots involving the H1N1 vaccine and the contention that U.S. dollars don't constitute real money.
"It's a classic Patriot or Sovereign Citizen website,'' said Mark Potok, director of the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center.
And there's more...
"...a check of the Southern Poverty center's databases found no mention of Kane, but that he clearly was at least influenced by extreme right-wing organizations. "Without question, Jerry Kane was mouthing some of the core ideas of anti-government, Patriot movement..."
I would just like to know when the people who spew the incitements to violence against our government (and against liberals) will be held to some level of responsibility and accountability when people go off the deep end. When will the mainstream media actually realize that the is a correlation between right wing violence and the constant pushing of anti-government messages by the right wing?
I know, I am not holding my breathe.
UPDATE: Wow, this is my first time on the rec list, so thanks to everyone. I really hope this story finally gets out to the mainstream media as it should.
UPDATE 2: Thanks to George in the comments, there is a great Memphis news report video on YouTube that is worth watching here.